It's... a thing. A science thing. It hurts robots. Don't worry about it.

”

Arcade Israel Gannon[1] (born 2246)[1] is a possible companion in Fallout: New Vegas. As a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse in 2281, he researches the potential medicinal uses of naturally occurring compounds for the chapter that resides in Freeside's Old Mormon Fort.

Arcade Gannon is the son of an Enclave officer,[2] born in Navarro in 2246,[3][4] four years after the destruction of the Poseidon oil rig.[3] His father died while Arcade was still an infant, killed in combat on an away mission; to this day, the specifics of his father's death are unknown to him.[5] As he grew up, he bonded closely with his mother and his de facto family, the Enclave Remnants, a group that had formerly served in the same unit as his father. In the wake of the NCR's capture of Navarro, the group fled the area and attempted to integrate into civilian life, but this was short-lived. Between the Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel both launching aggressive campaigns to track down all personnel that hadn't already been killed or detained during the siege, the Remnants were forced to retreat further into the eastern territories.

They eventually settled in the Mojave Wasteland and started new lives, their past associations kept secret for fear of further reprisals. Gannon joined the Followers of the Apocalypse to find a peaceful application for his skills and began working in Freeside. Though he's attempted to put the past behind him, he continues to dwell on the shared experiences of his family and his father's old unit, hoping that some day he can repay the Remnants for their unwavering loyalty to both him and his mother. Gannon trained as a doctor with the Followers in the NCR.[6] He prefers research to healing because he’s "not good with people."[7][8] In his spare time he reads "Pre-War books about failed socioeconomic policies".[3] Gannon speaks fluent Latin, although he is quick to assure the Courier that it was not a skill he picked up from Caesar's Legion.[9]

Arcade is highly intelligent, personable, and quick-witted. He sports a strong self-deprecating sense of humor, which he frequently uses to deflect questions of a personal nature. He shares the idealism of the Followers, but he also tries to be more pragmatic than some of his colleagues. He understands the post-apocalyptic world is one in which sometimes, people just have to be shot in the head.

He has a deep-seated desire to affect societal change on a broad spectrum, but he is only too familiar with what can happen when ideals become more important than the needs of individuals. This has led him to take a more balanced approach to the troubles of the post-war landscape, taking up the Followers' cause to help those around him achieve independence, assisting in the effort to make the less fortunate communities become more self-reliant. Though he may concede that the NCR's motives are in some ways similar, it's likely that he sees their 'clean up' efforts as distressingly corollary to what he offhandedly describes as the 'fascist' tactics of the Enclave.[10]

Despite doing a great deal of good for people in Freeside, he still worries about whether or not the path he's taken is one his father could be proud of.[11]

Forced to conceal his past for fear of NCR persecution, he has a desire for companionship from someone he knows he can trust. While he admits to having had many men in his life, he says "lovers make poor confidantes."[12]
The only people he remains close to are the Enclave Remnants, whom he sees as an extended family, though they've grown distant from each other over the years. His closest bond is with Daisy Whitman, who he describes as being "the only woman in his life" after the death of his mother.[12]

There are several ways for the player to recruit Arcade. In each case, assuming the requirements are met, the player just needs to talk to him, exploring the dialogue options until some variant of "Why don't you come with me?" shows up. He will agree if any of the following are true:

The player has Intelligence 3 or lower while speaking with him, Arcade will take pity on the player. Temporary Intelligence-reduction effects can be useful in this situation, for players who can't pass any of the other checks.

If you acquire some positive Caesar's Legion reputation, Arcade will refuse to join to you. You can wear NCR faction armor, and talk to him again. It will temporarily bypass the faction check, and allow him to join you. However, if your rep is high enough with Caesar's Legion, he will immediately leave upon being recruited.

For Auld Lang Syne: After the player shifts the balance of power between factions and explores several locations Arcade will recall memories of his days with the Enclave. This will reunite the members of his father's old squad in order to have them render assistance in the upcoming battle at Hoover Dam.

Beyond the Beef: The player can offer Arcade (or any other human companion) as a substitute main course to Mortimer for the banquet.

Arcade will get fed up with the player if the player does or says things that he dislikes. He has an internal counter of "dislike" points that is increased by doing or saying stupid or mean things or doing things that hurt the Followers. Once he has accumulated 3 "dislike" points, he will warn the player that he or she is "acting crazy". At 6 points, he will leave permanently. Note that he also tracks "like" points, but those are only used to decide if he'll start the For Auld Lang Syne quest early or not.

The "dislike" points are triggered by the following statements or actions:

1 point for saying, "Right. The Followers don't endorse his actions, and all that." when Arcade comments on Anderson, when visiting Westside after having earlier completed The White Wash without Arcade.

1 point for saying, "They profit from crime, now I profit, too." when Arcade chastises the player, if the player finished the quest by extorting money from the Westside Co-op.

2 points for saying "Anderson killed White. He deserved to pay for what he did." when Arcade challenges the player, if the player finished the quest by killing Anderson.

1 point for saying "What's done is done." when Arcade challenges the player, if the player finished the quest by killing Anderson.

1 point for saying "You're assuming a motive without evidence. Please be rational." (which requires Intelligence 7), followed by, "It was either this or spend the rest of his life in an NCR chain gang." when Arcade challenges the player, if the player finished the quest by killing Anderson.

Though Arcade's intentions were pure and his goals were noble, he ultimately succumbed to the harsh brutality of the Mojave like so many before him.

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Arcade dies.

2

Tricked by The Courier and imprisoned by the Legion, Arcade remained Caesar's personal physician for several years. Caesar grew fond of speaking with such an educated man on philosophical matters. Arcade became his unwilling intellectual sparring partner. After years of such servitude, during an unguarded moment, Arcade used a surgical scalpel and his bare hands to disembowel himself. Lacking any other skilled medical personnel, the Legion was unable to prevent his death. Caesar mourned his loss for months.

During the retreat of Caesar's Legion from the Mojave Wasteland, Arcade was a sad casualty, one of many. His body was heaped with those of many others in a nameless ravine on the Legion's long march home.

Though Arcade had not hoped for an NCR victory, he was proud of his role in the defense of Hoover Dam against the forces of Caesar's Legion. Unfortunately, when word spread that Arcade was once a member of the Enclave, he was forced out of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Pursued by bounty hunters, NCR rangers, and the Brotherhood of Steel, Arcade pushed deep into the eastern plains and was never heard from again.

Arcade had hoped that Freeside would be able to remain independent of NCR rule, but he was glad that Caesar's Legion had been stopped at Hoover Dam. He tended to the sick in Freeside for a while longer, then returned to NCR territory to become a teacher with the Followers there.

Complete Eureka! for the NCR; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Followers' camp in Freeside.

7

Though Arcade was crushed by the Legion's victory at Hoover Dam, he was not among NCR's casualties. During the NCR's retreat from the Mojave Wasteland, he helped defend NCR citizens and refugees on their way to Mojave Outpost. Unfortunately, a NCR ranger identified his father's armor as Enclave property. He was arrested, tried as a war criminal, and imprisoned indefinitely.

Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for the Legion; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to aid the Remnants and advise the Remnants to aid the NCR.

8

When news reached Freeside that Legion forces were approaching New Vegas, Arcade did his best to help people escape with adequate supplies. A Legionary explorer saw Arcade helping locals escape and pointed him out to a centurion. Arcade's group was run down somewhere near Westside. There were no survivors.

Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for the Legion; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Followers' camp in Freeside.

9

Arcade was outraged by Mr. House's power play following the defeat of Caesar's Legion at Hoover Dam. Though he remained in Freeside for a short time after the Securitrons established widespread control, he eventually traveled back into NCR territory. Disillusioned with the Followers of the Apocalypse, he settled down in the outskirts of the Boneyard, where he worked happily as a family doctor.

Complete All or Nothing for Mr. House; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Followers' camp in Freeside.

10

Though Arcade was proud to have been one of the defenders who turned back the Legion at Hoover Dam, he was crushed by Mr. House's ascent to power. Saddened by the loss of life and liberty in the area, Arcade left the Mojave Wasteland for parts unknown. He was never heard from again.

Complete All or Nothing for Mr. House; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade Gannon to aid the Remnants.

11

Arcade was proud to have been one of the defenders who helped repel the Legion from Hoover Dam. He was prouder still to see the area freed from the shackles of the NCR and Mr. House. Though independence for New Vegas was not all he hoped it could be, Arcade used his Enclave knowledge and technology to keep order wherever he could.

Complete No Gods, No Masters for an Independent Vegas; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to aid the Remnants.

12

Arcade was tending to the locals of Freeside when he learned that Caesar's Legion had been defeated and NCR was being pushed out of New Vegas. Though he found that independence for New Vegas was not all he hoped it would be, Arcade did his best to help the locals govern themselves.

Complete No Gods, No Masters for an Independent Vegas; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Followers' camp in Freeside.

Because Arcade's Plasma Defender uses magical companion ammo instead of energy cells, it does not have the -2 DT effect that comes from using standard energy ammunition. The weapon has the same statistics as the standard version otherwise.

"The Enclave did a lot of bad things, but there were good people at Navarro. Good people with a lot of experience. Not many of them are alive anymore, but I think they could make a difference in the fight against Caesar."

"I'm not exactly a mercenary, but taking out scumbags of this magnitude wouldn't cause me to loose any sleep."

Arcade's conflict is about his identity. He is torn between a sense of loyalty and tradition to his father and adoptive family and a desire to be independent, self-made. He feels caught between generations and cultures and isn't sure who he should be or how, if at all, to use the "legacy" (material and otherwise) left to him by his father.

Arcade's endings are intended to reflect that no one is damaged more by reality than the idealist. He does his best to be practical and rational, but there is a strong idealist streak in him/the Followers in general. In some of Arcade's "best" endings (meaning, the circumstances he thought he wanted), he is still somewhat disappointed by how things turned out. In his "worst" endings, he can wind up bitterly disillusioned, brutally murdered, crucified, casually executed and discarded in a ditch, or even defiantly suicidal.

Arguably the worst ending is the one in which Arcade is given to Caesar as an enslaved doctor. The existence is so unbearable to him that he does what the historical Cato the Younger did at Utica: rather than give Caesar satisfaction, he disembowels himself. Like Cato, Arcade cannot live in a world where everything he tried to resist has come to pass.

In the tabletop game, he was from the Midwest and was from a vault full of government workers and their offspring. Sort of Enclavish, but not really. In VB he was an Enclave trooper, I think. He also wasn't gay. Otherwise he was pretty similar in overall attitude and outlook. I eventually had to quasi-retire him from play because he wouldn't leave Boulder Dome due to a bunch of imminent crises

”— J. E. Sawyer

Arcade Gannon was one of several player characters J.E. Sawyer used while playing the Fallout tabletop RPG. As a character, he is also inspired by Sawyer's idealism.[13] His name stems from the word Arcadia, meaning a legendary, pure and untouched land, and Gannon chosen because it worked well.[14][15]

In pen-and-paper sessions, Arcade's theme song was Morphine's Cure for Pain and could be used once per session to get a boost to a roll.[16]

Xbox 360 If you have Lily and ED-E as a companion it is possible to recruit him as a third companion. This is also true for Veronica Santangelo.

Xbox 360 After dismissing Gannon as a companion to the Old Mormon Fort, he sometimes becomes un-recruitable again through dialogue. Dismiss your non-humanoid companion (ED-E or Rex) to the Lucky 38 / their Home and try Gannon's dialogue again. His follower dialogue will reappear.

PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 Sometimes he will still be recruitable after completion of For Auld Lang Syne. He will not display a companion screen and will die in casual mode instead of being knocked unconscious, but will still follow the player.

PlayStation 3 Give Arcade a pre-War bonnet to put on & the game rendering messes up. Might happen on other gaming platforms & maybe on different companions but not tested yet.

Xbox 360 There is a way to get Arcade Gannon to still be your follower after For Auld Lang Syne, be sure to save before you go outside as he can disappear after he gives you the armor, you can follow him out when he is getting his father's Gannon family Tesla armor and then ask him to be your follower again, as many times until it works, you have to pick the option to go back to Freeside as this is the only way he will not be locked in the Remnant's Bunker's command center.

PCXbox 360 Boone will take his Plasma Defender if both are waiting in the Lucky 38. He will use it instead of his hunting rifle, leaving Arcade Gannon unarmed. There is no way to fix this, as the weapons don't appear on the inventory.

PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 After completing For Auld Lang Syne and convincing Arcade to stay in Freeside instead of returning to Freeside he may just wander around the lucky 38 suite unrecruitable and just becomes an information hub until all of his speech options are exhausted. This happens when Arcade is sent to the Lucky 38, then completing For Auld Lang Syne. If you don't want Arcade in the Lucky 38 send him back to the Old Mormon Fort when firing him.

Xbox 360 Sometimes after entering a casino and you hand over your weapons, Arcade will not get his default weapon back (or any you issued him) and will attack with fists (During this glitch I could not issue him another weapon, due to the fact he would equip it and the first time he engaged in combat he would instantly deplete the weapons condition to 0% and drop it saying "This weapon is done for") Not sure if this problem is isolated to the Xbox360.

PCXbox 360 Sometimes when you don't have any followers, you may ask him to be a follower and he will claim that there is too many people in your party already. Recruiting Rex before asking Arcade to join will alter his response tree and get him to accept your offer to join.

PlayStation 3 Arcade will occasionally die upon fast travel.

Xbox 360 Whilst in combat, explosions may occur around Arcade Gannon, and permanently cripple his legs. Trying to use stimpaks and/or doctor's bags will not work, nor does dismissing Arcade as your companion and waiting a considerable amount of time. (after dismissing him you can watch him hobble around at the Old Mormon Fort at Freeside). A possible fix is to change his apparel and get him to attack, this should bring him out of his crippled state.

PC Sometimes when you enter the Old Mormon Fort, Arcade may become duplicated.

PlayStation 3 Enemies turned to 'Goo Piles' by Arcade Gannon's plasma pistol will sometimes remain for the entire game. This can be especially annoying as it will take up more memory and possibly lead to lags in FPS.

When Arcade tells the player that he would prefer that the player let the Followers look at ED-E rather than the Brotherhood, there is a dialogue tree that was supposed to happen if a flag is set marking that Arcade has revealed his Enclave background. The flag in question appears to never be set, so the dialogue option never appears. Possibly it was intended to appear if the player has finished For Auld Lang Syne, but since Arcade leaves the player permanently at the end of that quest, it's no longer relevant.

Arcade: "Some of the old-timers like Moreno hold grudges against the Brotherhood and the NCR. I'd like to think I'm above that, but you may be right. I'm not going to pout and cry if you give him to the Brotherhood. I'd rather they have it than allow all that knowledge to disappear. I'd just prefer that it goes to an organization like the Followers, who are less likely to use it for... violent purposes."

When Arcade ranks against Caesar, currently there is a typo. Picking the 8 INT option, part of his speech has the words "From the west of the Colorado," In his captions, it is incorrectly typed as "from the east side of the Arizona,"

PCXbox 360 Sometimes when either non-humanoid companions are in the party when conversing with Arcade the travel together option will not display, dismissing the other companion will allow him to be recruited.

References

↑The Courier: "What are you talking about?"Arcade Gannon: "I wasn't always with the Followers, or with the NCR. My late father was an officer in a group called the Enclave, a remnant of America's Pre-War government. Memories being short around here, not a whole lot of people remember them. But they did bad things. Terrorized communities, kidnapped people. Eventually, someone stopped them. I was born a few years later at a military base on the coast, a place called Navarro."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑ 3.03.13.2The Courier: "Arcade, I'm asking you because I'm interested. Don't put yourself down."Arcade Gannon: "Oh, all right. I'm thirty-ish. Well, late thirties. I was born...west of here. I was an only child and spent most of my time with my mother. My father died when I was young and I never got over it. Oh... and I like medicine and reading books about failed Pre-War socioeconomic policies."

↑The Courier: "You've certainly done your part."Arcade Gannon: "I've been wondering about Daisy and the others for so long, I still haven't figured out what I should do. I mean, I'm not like them. I was born at Navarro and my father served with them, but I wasn't really part of the Enclave. It seems presumptuous of me to think that I could join the fight, even if this is a cause worth fighting for. Because I know when fighting breaks out at the dam, all hell is going to break loose in Freeside. They're going to need every doctor they can get."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Where did the Enclave go?"Arcade Gannon: "A lot of different places. I only know what I was told. Some of them were cut down by the NCR and the Brotherhood. Some of them went east. My mother never told me what happened to my father, but she and I went south with some others and integrated into the NCR. When the NCR learned that Enclave personnel had integrated, we kept moving to the fringes. It's one of the reasons why I wound up out here."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "How did you join the Followers?"Arcade Gannon: "Honestly, it isn't too difficult if you have half a brain and aren't a complete jerk. I wanted to help people and I enjoyed learning, so I signed up. New Vegas is in trouble, so I came out here. If someone doesn't step up and try to help the people here, it's going to end very badly."The Courier: "Where did you get your medical training?"Arcade Gannon: "The Followers taught me everything I know about medicine. Despite our humble abode here in New Vegas, we have great facilities back in the NCR. We may have over extended ourselves by setting up camp in Freeside, but the people here need help from someone. If not us, who?"(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Why do you do research instead of providing medical assistance?"Arcade Gannon: "Not all Followers are "people persons." Besides, someone needs to do research. I have no problem with Julie sticking me back here. Out of sight, out of mind. There are worse things one can be, though I do admit, it is a bit boring. Though it has a noble goal, I don't think this research will yield much fruit. No pun intended."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Why do you do research instead of providing medical assistance?"Arcade Gannon: "Like I said before, not all Followers are good with people. I'm fine doing research back here, even if it is a bit boring... and pointless... and a complete waste of time. Don't mind me. I'm just voicing my thoughts so they don't burrow out of my skull in a fit of abject despondency."The Courier: "You don't sound too enthusiastic about it."Arcade Gannon: "I'm enthusiastic about helping people, but nihil novi sub sole."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Where did you learn that?"Arcade Gannon: "Not from the Legion, if that's what you're getting at. Books. Sheet music. Gladiator movie holotapes. Bits and pieces here and there. The Followers have extensive libraries, but we all draw water from the same old well. Even Caesar."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "I'm sure your father would be proud of you."Arcade Gannon: "I wonder if he would. It's pointless, I know, but sometimes I wonder what he wanted me to be. Maybe being a doctor in the middle of Nevada wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his little boy. I grew up without him. I'll always feel like something is missing from my life. But you're right. It's not like I'm the only kid in the wasteland who's grown up without a dad. Johnson always said my father was a good man. If that's the only thing about me that's like him, that's enough for me."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑ 12.012.1Arcade Gannon: "Since my mother died, Daisy's been the only woman in my life. She was the only other woman close to my father, too. She flew him out on over a dozen missions, including his last. I've always been close to Daisy. There have been some good men along the way, but lovers make poor confidants. Daisy never had children of her own, so she was always there to listen. Being in the Enclave didn't mean much to her. She just loved to fly. It broke her heart to be grounded."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)

↑Formspring: "Are you aware of the fact that, after you revealed he was your tabletop character, Arcade has been criticized for being a Mary Sue on fansites? Do you think it's fair?Jean-Baptiste Cutting was also my character in the same campaign. Is he a Mary Sue?
I think people know enough about my personality from interviews and the questions I've answered here to make that judgment on their own. The fact that I played the character in a tabletop campaign shouldn't have much bearing on it considering the variety of characters I played in that, and many other, campaigns.
That said, when I design characters that I am going to personally write or play in RPGs, I try to build up around subject matter I know. As with writing, role-playing about topics with which you are familiar is generally a good approach. There are parts of my cynicism and despair in Chief Hanlon, parts of my idealism in Arcade, and parts of my struggle to be honest with myself in Joshua Graham. Of those three, Arcade is the most like me, but he is not me and was not intended to stand in for me."

↑Formspring: "Why did you choose "Arcade" as Arcade Gannon's first name? It's somehow fitting... but when I think about it as a name it just seems strange.He's named for Arcadia, which was legendary for being a pure, untouched land."

↑Formspring: "And why "Gannon?" Because Ganondorf is awesome?It's just a name that worked well."

↑rope kid: Last week I was going through some packed boxes of books and I found my old binder for Arcade during our BIS Fallout tabletop game. Chris Avellone allowed each of us to pick theme music for our characters. If we brought a CD with that music to the game, we could play that song once per session for a big bonus on one roll made during the song.Source

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